Doily pin



April 1953 P. L. BRATTAlN ET AL Filed May 9, 49

SIQMUEZ H. 26 8,

INVENTORS Patented Apr. 28, 1953 OFFICE DOILY PIN Paul L. Brattain,Azusa, and Samuel H. Rips, Pasadena, Calif.

Application May 9, 1949, Serial No. 92,174

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an upholstery fastener, and particularly.pertains to a doily pin.

Various types of devices have been provided to fasten doilies orupholstery covering onto articles of furniture. In most cases these haveinvolved the use of a head element which may be easily caught towithdraw the pin, and in some instances various complicated structureshave been provided to penetrate the upholstering in an effort to preventthe pin from becoming displaced. These structures have been complicatedand required considerable effort to properly place them in position. Itis desirable, therefore, to provide a dolly pin of small dimensions andsimple construction whereby the pin may be easily placed in position andmay not be accidentally pulled from position or worked out of place. Itis the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to providea simple pin structure which may be easily inserted through fabric, andhold in position so that the head will be substantially concealed and sothat the pin will not be accidentally removed.

The present invention contemplates a doily pin having a head structuredesigned to lie substantially flat on the surface of a doily orupholstering and having a head structure carrying yieldably prongscapable of being held close together while the pin is inserted through afabric article and which will expand beneath the fabric to hold thedoily pin in place.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure l is a plan of a doily pin embodying the present invention andshowing the pin in its normal position before being placed within apiece of fabric.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation taken in the direction of arrow 2 inFig. l and showing the doily pin with the straight pins thereof (in fulllines) compressed prior to causing said straight pins to penetrate apiece of fabric. This view also shows said straight pins (in brokenlines) spread apart at a wide angle of divergence as when freedcompletely from restraint.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing the pin in place with the straightpins thereof spread oppositely to hold the structure.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention is there shown asembodied in a doily pin l which is adapted to be applied to secure adoily d to a piece of upholstery fabric H. In its preferred form, theinvention comprises a single wire made of spring steel in which loops I2and I3 are formed so as to be equi-distant from the center which will 2of the wire and at opposite ends of a straight central length M of saidwire which forms the mandrel of a head M of the doily pin. Head I4.

is formed by coiling opposite free ends of said wire about said mandrelto. form coiled springs l5 and 16 which extend from the loops l2 and [3to the middle of the mandrel M. The coil springs 15 and I6 arepreferably wound in opposite directions about the mandrel l4 andterminate at their inner ends in pins l! and I8 which are substantiallystraight from the points of their connection with springs l5 and I 6 totheir outer extremities. The outer ends of said pins l1 and I8 arepointed so that they will readily penetrate a doily d and the fabric IIon which it is desired to mount said doily. T

The doily pin I0 is manufactured so that the straight pins l1 and I8thereof, when free from restraint, will be held by their connection withsprings 15 and H5, in widely divergent positions as shown in full linesin Fig. 1 and in broken lines in Fig. 2. To prepare the doily pin illfor insertion through the doily d and into the fabric H to which it isdesired to secure said doily, the pin body i4 is seized between thumband forefinger so as to swing the straight pins l1 and Hi from theirextended positions (shown in broken lines in Fig. 2) to the positions inwhich they are shown in full lines in Fig. 2 in which said pins aresubstantially parallel.

With the doily pin it) thus gripped between the thumb and forefinger,the points of the straight pins l1 and I8 are inserted through the doilyd and into the upholstery fabric H. The doily pin II) is now releasedfrom the grip with which it has been held between the thumb andforefinger, and is pressed towards the doily d to extend straight pinsl1 and I8 practically their full length into said doily and theupholstery fabric H to form a depression in said doily and fabric whichis occupied by the body H of the doily pin ill.

As said body is thus pressed inwardly against said doily, the straightpins l1 and [8 swing outwardly at a widely divergent angle as shown inFig. 3 so as to secure the doily d to the fabric l I. With the doily pin[0 so applied, the body l4 thereof is practically sheltered in thedepression formed in the exposed surface of the doily d,

against any accidental engagement of the body V H of the doily pin 10which might tend to dislodge this.

The doily pin in thus remains installed as shown in Fig. 3, until a veryvigorous pull is exerted on the doily d tending to strip it from theupholstery fabric H, or until the doily pin I0 is deliberately removedfrom the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 by the body l4 beinggripped between the forefinger and thumb and pulled outwardly towithdraw straight pins I! and I8 from the doily cl and fabric I I.

It is to be noted that in case the pins H and I8 are withdrawn from thefabric H by pulling on the doily d, the doily pin it is not lost butremains anchored in place in the doily d by the straight pins H and !8.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. A fastening device comprising: a wire man'-drel; a pair of wire springs coiled about said mandrel and secured attheir outer ends to said mandrel; and a pair of substantially straightwire pins formed on the inner ends of said springs; said pins, when notunder restraint, being held by said springs at a wide angle ofdivergence.

.2- A. fastening d vi e omp in gr coil springs; meansior holding said inalignment and uniting the 'out'er ends of said pr s a d a P e. termed 192 1 9? ends of said springs, said pins being pointed at their ends andstraight from said ends to their connection with said springs, saidpins, whennot' underrest'raint, being held by said springs at a wideangle of divergence. g g I U w I, 3. A fastening device comprising: asingle piece of spring wire a middle portion of wliich form's a mandrel,end portions of said wire being vi und nw r b t said d el a m 90. ai essh ex emi e isa wer bei l t s ra ht and sharpened to form a pair oijpinswhich are straight from their sharpened ends to the points where theyconnect to said springs, said pins,

4 when not under restraint, being held by said springs at a wide angleof divergence.

4. A doily fastening device formed of a continuous length of springwire, said device comprising: a. central portion of wire, loops formedat the opposite ends thereof, the free ends of said wire being coiledabout said central portion between said loops and in opposite directionsto form two coils and a pair of pins formed by the e'iidfnost portionsof said wire at the inner ends of said coils, said pins being pointed attheir ends and being substantially straight from their junction withsaid coils to the outer extremities thereof and free of any encumbrancewhich would prevent their penetrating a fabric their full length, saidcoils being tensioned to swing said pins in oppositedirections, todispose said pins, when the latter are unrestrained, at a wide angle ofdivergence.

PAUL L. BRATTAIN.

I SAMUEL H. RIPS.

References fcii-ii the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7Name Date 7 2063901 ClarkSOn Oct; 21., 1884 517,545 Duckett Apr. 3; 1894625,062 Roberts s.- May 16, 1899 718,218 Reibetanz Jan. 13, 1903 733,306Waters 4;; July 7, 1903 899,369 Wolf Sept. 22, 1908 2,307,295 PettitJan. 5, 1943 tonnes PATENTS Number Country A bate 9,503 Great Britain of1893

